Music for Redemptation
by Charlie'sDragon
Summary: Narcissa tells of her first love, music. She uses it again to heal after the war, trading memories of the grim with those of a little girl named Victoire Weasley.


**A/N: This is for the Black Family Challenge over on NextGen Fanatics. I had Narcissa Black, Victoire Weasley, the quote: I was, for a time at least, the most famous person in the world, and the prompt music.**

_I was the most musical of my siblings. Piano lessons began when I was only three, after Bella hexed the man that was teaching her. 'Meda had gotten out of them long before, as she always was mother's favorite._

_But I was the only one left so had too, because after all even Lydia Parkinson played quite well; Mother was in such a rage after Viola Parkison implied something about the Black girls being less talented. That was when Bella was forced back into lessons, and her tutor in turn given to me._

_I was passable, quite good for such a young child even though I could really only play one song over and over again. I know for certain that it was Mary had a Unicorn._

_When I was eight, Mother deemed me good enough to play at one of the dinner parties that Father threw for the Selwyns and Parkinsons and Malfoys. It was considered quite the honor and 'Meda immediately sent the house elf off for a celebratory cake when she heard. I'm nearly sure that the only reason was that Mother still was mad at Viola. Then again, Mother was nearly always unhappy with Viola over one thing or another._

_So I played at dinner, my new silver robes lying perfectly and my hair curled and twisted into a bun. Before, I made the mistake of whispering to Bella my nervousness. She warned me that if I puked Mother would probably Crucio me, something that did little to put me at ease._

_But I got out, played a song. To my astonishment, it went well. Such precision! I remember Mr. Malfoy saying. And Lucius, who was nearly Meda's age, gave me a rose that he had Transfigured out of his handkerchief. I thought it the most amazing thing, though Bella laughed and asked if he blew his nose first. _

_But I cared not at all because, for a time at least, I was the most famous person in the world. Everyone in my little circle knew how I was allowed to play at the dinner when none of the other underage girls were even allowed to come downstairs during that time. So I was perfectly content, perhaps even happy. _

_I played more times through my childhood, up until I was eleven and off to Hogwarts. But I missed it, missed it with an indefinable feeling. Now I think that I was searching for a way to make my parents proud, different from 'Meda with her brilliance and Bella with her pure Slytheriness. _

_So I continued practicing, forcing 'Meda to Transfigure me a piano that I placed in the corner of the Slytherin common room. No one dared to make fun of me, Bella's glares and my name always firmly in place to ward off any who thought my obsession odd._

_It was my first love, the music I could coax from the piano. And so it was to that music I turned to again when my world was turned inside out and shaken._

The Malfoy family is not broke, nor will it ever be. Difficulty with finances is a different thing, or at least has a more suitable name. But lawyers are expensive and charitable donations to key places in the Ministry cost more than they can afford.

Lucius had a job, of sorts, at the Ministry. Now though, he is "let go" and must look for a new place to work. Narcissa has never worked; pureblood girls usually have neither the need nor the inclination.

But now they must. Both are too proud to ask for help from Draco, and with a new baby soon he too has to work more and more. So Lucius goes to work at a Charms creation lab, run by that Granger girl. He does well enough, even though he always complains about her when he returns home.

Narcissa attempts to find something that she could be paid to do, discarding work at the Ministry or in a lab. She was never as intelligent in school as either of her sisters. Finally though, someone shows her what she can do.

Perhaps it is simple pity that motivates Fleur Weasley to ask Narcissa to teach little Victoire to play piano. Either way, Narcissa accepts because Fleur says she can only accept someone who was taught by Mr. Chevalier and gives her an opportunity to hold onto her thin remnants of pride.

Little Victoire has pale blonde hair and crystalline blue eyes- she is softer though, laughing more often than Narcissa ever remembered. But she loved the piano, though she can play even less than the five year old Narcissa could.

Narcissa tries to show Victoire how to love the music, how to be precise and controlled and hit each note with perfection. But she never can quite do it, her little hands struggling across the keys. Sometimes Narcissa wants to slide her off the bench and play it how it should be played, but she won't. There's something about the way Victoire bites her lip with her wobbly tooth that makes her sit back and praise her. And when little Vic smiles up, after completing one of the exercises, Narcissa can't help but smile back.

It is almost like another chance, another little child to show the joys of music without the shroud of Voldemort hanging over everything. It is a chance to make up, with this one little girl who smiles when she sees her, a little bit of what she did during the war.


End file.
